Zinc deficiency may increase severity of cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, suggests study

A new study published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care found that higher degrees of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and more severe cirrhosis are substantially correlated with zinc deficiency. Since liver disease was responsible for 18.3% of the two million liver disease-related deaths worldwide in 2015, there is a significant burden of the illness in India.

A steady decline in liver function, including the generation of clotting factors and other proteins, the detoxification of toxic metabolic products, and the excretion of bile for more than six months, is known as chronic liver disease. A serious side effect of liver cirrhosis that has a high death rate is hepatic encephalopathy. Zinc deficiency has been identified in a small number of studies as a risk factor for the development of HE in individuals with liver cirrhosis and HE. This study was conducted to assess serum zinc levels in patients with liver cirrhosis and HE to look for the association between serum zinc levels and grades of HE.

At a tertiary care facility in Jharkhand, 150 patients with liver cirrhosis and HE participated in a cross-sectional observational research. Every patient was assessed using a clinical examination, history taking, and a questionnaire before being categorized into various WHC grades of HE and CPC classes of cirrhosis. All patients underwent routine imaging scans, blood tests, and morning serum zinc measurements.